


Almost Home

by katamari



Category: VIXX
Genre: Everyone is a Werewolf, Fights, Gen, M/M, Werewolves, there. there wolf.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-02
Updated: 2014-11-02
Packaged: 2018-07-22 11:04:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7434412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katamari/pseuds/katamari
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ken's path was laid out for him, or so he thought. A change can be something as simple as going out on a Friday night.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

 

Sunset came earlier and earlier in the fall. The last fading rays flickered over Seoul, struggling to keep its light and warmth alive for just a second more. Despite the sun’s desperation, children were being called in from local parks to dinners, streetlights automatically flicked on, and the daily businesses put away their signs and goods to make way for the slightly seedier nightlife.

The quiet din of the day grew louder as bars opened their doors, snippets of music rolling out from their doors into the streets. Half-grown men in smart suits trolled the area, enticing single girls into their clubs for just one drink and a little company. Soaplands and “massage parlors” plastered their photos on colorful plastic signs, advertising the ‘lovely, skilled maidens’ within.

That was just the ground floor. Above sat cheap apartments, which were rented cheerfully and heavily by university students. They didn’t care about the noise or the cracks in walls, even the occasional mouse visitor was shooed out. All they needed was a place to eat, sleep, and study…and more than a few of the ground floor businesses offered student rates.

Ken, however, refused to take part. Even on a Saturday night, he was settled in front of his computer, typing yet another endless paper that his professor swore he would help him get published this time. He had heard rumors that his mentor would happily exchange sexual favors for publishing ones, but he was determined to get to the top the honest way. Even if that meant countless rejections and heart failure due to the amounts of coffee he ingested during those long nights, it would be worth it. His few minor articles that had popped up in history journals in Asia were a blip in the academic world

_Current applications of modernization theory use Seoul as the role model, much like Tokyo in the 1960s. Seoul, and South Korea as a whole, is held up by the West as a shining example to North Korea as a war-torn civilization that has brought itself up through the capitalist model. Professor Ignashov compares the model in his work on East Germany in which_

“In which…”

The soft clicking stopped, and the rustling began. He had that article somewhere, buried under an untidy stack of similar ones, each filled with academics arguing back and forth about the true application of words and theories, each one trying to outdo the other. It was a harsh world where the top was always in danger of falling straight to the bottom of the pile, and Ken always wondered just what made him want to get his doctorate. Ken briefly pondered throwing his hands up in the air and burning the stack of articles for heat, but the thought passed and he found the article instead.

He settled back down at his worn laptop and began to type again, the tapping of his keys drowning out the music and chatter outside. It provided a soothing backdrop to the cacophony that Ken had shunned for a hermetic existence, safe and high within the ivory tower.

An unwelcome buzzing penetrated the silence, and the young man looked up in irritation. It wasn’t a familiar noise from the street; in fact it sounded more like it was coming from within…

…That was right. The doorbell had broken, and all that rang out was the damn buzz. He hadn’t bothered to fix it, as who came aside from the odd pizza delivery?

He contemplated not answering it, but the buzz continued. Whoever was at the door knew he was home and wasn’t going to let up until they had gotten their business finished.

Ken sighed unhappily as he unlocked the door, his peaceful mood shattered--and further shattered as he recognized the tall, carelessly handsome man who leaned against the rickety doorframe. Even with his hair bleached and dyed brilliant silver, his childhood friend Cha Haekyon’s mischievous eyes and small smirk were unmistakable.

They started calling him N, he recalled, in elementary school English class. They were allowed to pick their English names, and Haekyon insisted on just being N, nothing else. Apparently it was his favorite letter, and it stuck, much like ‘Ken’ did for himself. He was, after all, the best Street Fighter player in their whole school.

“You haven’t done anything with the place,” N announced and didn’t wait for Ken’s invitation to come in. He slipped his heavy boots off and stepped inside, scrutinizing the low shelves crammed with books and bare walls.

“It’s nice to see you too,” Ken ventured once he could speak. It had been well over three years since he had seen him, back when he announced that he was off to explore the world. Rash for most people, but N had a certain way of making split-second decisions and acting on them. “You’ve come home, I see.”

“I’ve been back for a few months now. Bumming around Seoul, you know. The usual.” The strikingly tall man browsed Ken’s bookshelves with disinterest. “You’ve been on the books this whole time? Can I start calling you doc yet?”

Ken sank back down in his chair. “Three more years, at least—and don’t call me that. Someone might think I’m an actual doctor.”

“A doctor of history.” N hummed, and Ken recognized that little song. He had to be planning something. He turned back to his computer, typing breaking an awkward silence.

“That must mean you go to a lot of museums. I bet you learn a lot there.”

Ken’s typing didn’t pause for a moment, although he did wonder what his old friend was getting at. “I go all the time, why? You were never interested in history.”

N peered over his shoulder, trying to make heads or tails out of the heavy, verbose article that currently filled Ken’s screen. “I want to take you to a museum. Right now.”

“Now? It’s too late, N. Everything’s closed for the night, and they won’t be back open until tomorrow morning.”

“It’s a special museum.” He chuckled, another sound Ken knew all too well. “No, no. Don’t bother looking for it online. You’ll never find it. I discovered it myself, right before I left on my little trip…and I figured this would be something right up your alley. You always did like anthropology, right?”

“An anthropology museum I’ve never heard of?” Was that even possible? Ken racked his brain, going through his long mental list of museums. He had made regular journeys to all of them, and he couldn’t think of any special ones that were open at night…

Still, N was his friend, and he needed that time to catch up. He’d always been just a little envious that he wasn’t brave enough to pack up and travel, or to see anything beyond his little crappy apartment. “I’ll go, I guess. I just can’t stay too long, this article’s due.”

N clapped him on the shoulder. “That’s what I like to hear. We won’t stay out that late, trust me.” Without permission, he turned and started rifling through Ken’s meager closet. “Let’s see what you’ve got to wear…nothing really appropriate I see.”

“It’s a museum!” Ken felt defensive about his wardrobe of jeans and comfortable sweatshirts.

“And this belongs in one,” N teased, holding up an ancient shirt from junior high. “I guess they’ll let you in for now, but next time won’t be so easy. They’ve got standards.”

Ken glanced at his friend’s attire, all black and leather and studs, as if he were going to a punk concert or a fetish party. Was that was he was supposed to wear next time? He had a feeling there wouldn’t be one of those. “Just what kind of anthropology is this?”

N only gave Ken the barest second to slip on his sneakers before dragging him out the door. “It’s the kind of anthropology you’ll never be able to find in any book.”

There was really no way out of it, but he trusted N completely. Ken allowed himself to be pulled through the streets, deeper into the seedier areas of the district. The cacophony of music and invitations into various bars and clubs grew louder, the sound hurting Ken’s ears. N didn’t seem to mind, simply pushing past it all. Ken squinted up at the dazzlingly bright array of signs and rubbed his temples; he was getting a headache just being outside.

N didn’t even stop to ask if he was okay. He glanced at his watch, which made Ken wonder if they were on some sort of schedule. When did he start wearing a watch, anyway?

“Down here,” N grunted and pulled Ken down in alley, forcing him to dodge a puddle of something that stagnated just in front of the entrance. The smell of stale beer and tobacco smoke permeated the air, but it didn’t stop N from bringing him down further, to a scratched, rusty metal door stationed at the end of an alley. “This is your new museum.”

Ken studied the door and the surrounding wall, looking for any sort of sign that yes, this was what N had brought him to explore. “What’s the name of it?”

“The Museum of the Strange and Unusual,” N answered before pulling open the door and dragging the bewildered man through it.

When the door slammed shut behind him, Ken thought he was in total darkness until his eyes adjusted to the dim light. It took him less than thirty seconds to realize that this wasn’t a museum at all, but it felt strangely warm and pleasant. The air wasn’t full of smoke, the music was present but low, and something about the raw brick walls and scratched wood floor felt like home.

The people, as N predicted, were attired in the same harsh styles. Ken hadn’t seen so many pairs of heavy boots in one room before. Fingers adorned with heavy silver rings held surprisingly delicate-looking glasses, and one glance told him that not only was it not a museum, it was the exact opposite of one.

“A club?” Ken whispered, incredulous.

“A club,” N confirmed, pressing a bottle of beer into his hand. “The Museum of the Strange and Unusual is actually the name of it. I know you, and I know you had probably holed yourself up for the time I’ve been gone, right? You need to relax and take a break from it all.”

Ken sighed heavily, wishing he wasn’t so transparent. A break was actually a good idea, even if he wouldn’t have chosen a Goth club for it. N was right, he felt underdressed in his maroon hoodie with the rubber duck emblazoned on it. He jammed one hand into the deep pocket and leaned back against the wall, watching the club move on without him.

His friend was easy to spot in the crowd, the silver hair glowing despite the dim lighting. He seemed deep in conversation with friends, so Ken chose not to bother him and enjoy his free beer instead. The conversations around him didn’t seem strange or unusual in the slightest. There were rants about work and lovers, gossip over the latest celebrities, and some bemoaning over schoolwork. He settled in a chair next to two women, who seemed to be enthusiastically arguing about something or other.

“So I told him,” the redhead started, “that if he was serious about this then I had to bite him, you know? And he backed out, the wimp!”

Her dark-haired friend pushed her glasses up her nose with a long-suffering sigh. “Calm your tits, will you? You can’t just go around biting people and saying that’s love.”

“Calm my tits? Oh right, I forgot. I don’t have any tits!”

Ken tuned out their chatter with his drink, but still half-listened when N settled in the stool beside him. “Having fun yet?”  
“I think I see why they call it Strange and Unusual,” Ken admitted, recalling the women. “I just heard those two talking about biting people for love. Like a vampire, I guess.”

“Vampires don’t exist,” his friend stated, but Ken didn’t miss the sharp glare that N gave the two, which caused them to shut up immediately.

“I know they don’t, but it would be a fun thing to think about,” Ken admitted. Half his beer was gone, and he already felt dizzy. It had been a very long time since he had a drink, and it showed. “I liked all those scary stories when I was a kid.”

“There are scarier things out there,” N mused. “Like werewolves. Those would be more fun than vampires, I think.”

Ken laughed. “What, howling at the moon and scratching at fleas?”

“Or running through an endless forest in the dead of night.” N lowered his voice. “Your senses heightened, your body far more powerful than it could ever be as a human. You taste your kill’s heartbeat before the meat touches your fangs. You own the night, you and your pack, and no one or nothing can make you give it up. The excitement becomes too much, and you simply have to howl. That’s when you’ve accepted yourself as you are-man and beast.”

N’s voice was nearly a whisper by the end of his story, but Ken was too enraptured to realize how close he had gotten to his old friend to hear it. “There are others like you,” he continued. “Your pack, sworn to protect you and you them, come hell or high water. Even within the constraints of the pack, there is freedom. Learn from them, earn their trust. Even the smallest wolf has a lesson to give.”

“How do you know all this?” Ken asked, stunned. He had known N all his life as carefree and fun, not such an engaging storyteller.

“Because,” N purred, “I am one.”

Ken stared at his friend, his jaw gaping open. “You have got to be kidding.” He was kidding, wasn’t he? He always liked jokes and playing around, but the solemn look in N’s eyes was one he hadn’t seen before. Still, there was no way. Werewolves and the like didn’t exist except in the land of fairy tales and B horror movies. “This is a big joke, right?”

“You’ll find,” N continued quietly, “that everyone else in this club has the exact same condition.”

Ken looked again at the patrons. Suddenly, the group of guys joking in the corner and the two girls ranting at the bar seemed all too sinister. The girls caught his stare and flashed grins that were feral at the edges.

“But there aren’t any wolves in Seoul!” Ken sputtered. “That’s ridiculous, unless all of you live at the zoo!”

“We don’t live in Seoul,” N replied simply. “We gather here. Our hunting ground is further south.”

“Where, Taiwan?”

“No. You wouldn’t believe me.” N sighed. “I knew you wouldn’t. I had such high hopes, too…”

“I’m an academic,” Ken tried to explain. “I need to witness it, or have any evidence other than you telling me that every single person here is a werewolf!”

“Then I’ll take you. I know there are seats left on the last flight tonight.” N stood up.

“Tonight? I’ve got tests and this article…” Ken faltered.

“I’m going to show you something beyond your wildest dreams, and yet you worry only about some articles that will be read by an audience of two,” N said dryly. “This is your only chance, Jaehwan. This is the only time I’ll offer to let you see.”

“And if I say no?” Ken hedged, still thinking about the consequences to his academic career.

“Then you will forget. We have ways. You’ll go home, and wake up tomorrow morning with absolutely no idea of where I am, and you’ll never see me again,” N cautioned. “Those are the rules.”

It wouldn’t hurt to just look, would it? Besides, while it wasn’t close to his birthday, maybe this was a silly surprise gathering for him. It had to be a joke, after all. He would email his professor; let him know that his paper was going to be a bit late, due to some family emergency or the other. N was family, after all, and he supposed that this counted as an emergency.

“Sure,” Ken said hesitantly. “Show me this hunting ground of yours. I just can’t stay too long, okay?”

He couldn’t be sure, but it seemed as though N cracked a smile. What was he hiding?

“Right,” he agreed. “We’ll have you back in your apartment in no time, but for now you’ve got to come with me.”

This time, there was no protest. Ken willingly followed N out the door, his mind swimming with the possibilities. Was N really telling the truth, and if he was, what did it mean? All he knew about werewolves came from old movies and campfire tales. He had seen plenty of silver in the club—apparently that wasn’t a weapon. He had no idea if any wolfsbane grew in Korea, and he doubted that he would be sat on a plane headed straight to harvest it if that were the case.

He slept on the way, as N encouraged. It was going to be a long night, and he was already feeling pretty tired already from all of the sudden disturbances.

He slept heavily through the short flight and onwards, not knowing that N carted him through the airport on a baggage cart and unceremoniously dumped him into a waiting taxi. Ken awoke as the car slowed to a stop, confused and disoriented. “Where…”

“Jeju,” N replied, paying the driver and getting out. He offered Ken a hand as he stumbled blindly out of the car, confused at the dark woods surrounding him. “From here, we walk.”

If this was a joke, N was going a long way to pull it. While he had never been to the popular tourist spot, he knew that it was one of the few places left with a forest-of course that would be a hunting ground, but werewolves?

He kept his thoughts to himself as they walked. Dry leaves cracked under his feet, even though he couldn’t see them. N had a strong grip on his wrist as he pulled them forward without aid of a flashlight. Was that part of the lore, or was N really religious about eating carrots as a kid? A quiet voice in the back of his head suggested that he might actually be telling the truth.

That was when he heard the growling.

“Don’t say a word,” N muttered. “Don’t move. Try to breathe quietly.”

Ken bit his lip hard in an attempt not to scream. It wasn’t a joke; there was a _something_ in these woods. He should’ve stayed home, he knew it! What had he gotten himself into this time?

When the grey wolf padded out, Ken knew he was in deep trouble. The wolf was large, much larger than he had imagined. It still had the characteristic slender legs and long snout, but its eyes…

There was no mistaking it. Those were human eyes.

N stared at the wolf in silence for what seemed like hours, before the wolf lowered his head and trotted ahead of them, clearly meaning for the pair to follow.

“He’s taking us to our home,” N murmured quietly. “In this form, my eyes aren’t as good in the dark, and we can’t use lights. That,” he said before Ken could ask, “would attract our enemies.”

Ken didn’t need a reminder to stay quiet as he walked in stunned silence, even deeper in the woods. The wolf in front of them kept pausing; his head cocked towards a sound in the distance before deciding it was time to move on. As much as he wanted to think it was a joke, N’s caution and the fact that there was a wolf leading them to an unseen house in the distance told him that this was very real.

When his eyes adjusted, N was leading him up a set of porch steps that sounded rickety, but he couldn’t quite judge their condition. The wolf pawed at the door until N opened it, allowing the three inside the lit interior.

The wolf paused and sat back for a moment, concentrating. While Ken watched in horror and curiosity, the wolf’s fur retracted, paws becoming hands and feet until he was finally staring at the back of a nude young man.

“You brought a human? Ravi and Leo aren’t going to like that,” the man stated, seemingly unaware that he was nude-or that Ken was still staring.

A werewolf. A real, actual, werewolf. Ken pinched himself hard, and the resulting sting told him that he was very awake.

“They’ll adjust,” N replied, unfazed. “Hyuk, this is Ken. Ken, Hyuk.”

“Nice to meet you,” the young man called out over his shoulder as he padded up the stairs and disappeared into a room.

“…He’s a werewolf?” Ken gasped out when he managed to speak. “You’re not joking.” His mind refused to comprehend the transformation he just saw, the complete turning of his neatly ordered world upside down.

“Go sit,” N suggested, pointing to one of the incredibly comfortable-looking chairs just off to the right. “I’ll make some tea. You’re going to need it.”

At least that sounded like his old friend, always wanting to know if everyone was all right. He slipped his shoes off and obediently went to sit in one of the chairs. He tried to take in his surroundings, but the ominous black curtains, drawn tightly over the windows to block even the slightest bit of light, prevented his mind from taking in anything else. This wasn’t a dream, there were more. The boy—Hyuk, he remembered—had mentioned two others. There were at least four of them. Was he brought there to become their supper?

N came back with two steaming cups. Ken let his elegant fingers curl around one of them, the cup warming his hands and slowing his racing heartbeat. He inhaled the steam deeply, the scent of the strong tea calming him further. N had even remembered his favorite brand.

He sipped his tea in silence, his nerves calming with each sip.

“So now you know my dirty little secret,” N admitted. “…I wasn’t traveling the world. I was here. I was born into the curse, even though I don’t think it really is one.”

“Wait,” Ken tried to reason. “You’re telling me that you’ve been a werewolf for as long as I’ve known you? Really?”

“Yes and no. Children can’t transform,” N explained. “Usually the first transformation doesn’t hit until you’re about eighteen or so. It’d be dangerous to transform otherwise, you know. Your human body just…changes far too much.”

Strange as it was, N seemed to make sense. “The question is what I’m doing here, N. I’m not going to be your dinner or something, am I?”

N raised an eyebrow. “Even if we were interested in human meat, why would I bring you? No, I brought you here because you need it. You’re stuck in a rut, aren’t you?”

“I’m not!” Ken protested, even though he knew, deep down, his old friend was right once again. The past six years had been nothing but books and papers, brownnosing the right professors no matter how horrid they actually were in person. He hadn’t set foot outside of Seoul for ages, and if he had his way, he probably would have rented the library as an apartment.

This was different, but he relaxed as soon as he found out he wasn’t going to be devoured. As his worries eased away, he discovered that the house was less creepy than he thought at first. Despite the curtains, it had its own charm. Ken, to his surprise, decided he actually liked the mismatched, worn chairs and fussy old-lady lamps. N had probably inherited the place from his grandparents, and just hadn’t gotten around to redecorating.

“I’m inviting you to take a break,” N said. “Of course, I had to let you know what we all were so you wouldn’t panic, but no. You’re not here so that we can bite you or eat you. You simply need a new perspective on things.”

“I think what I need is sleep.” Despite his nap on the plane, the excitement and revelations of the evening had frankly left the scholar exhausted.

“Up the stairs, to the right, second to last door is our spare,” N said. “Go ahead and use that tonight. I’ll make sure you get your beauty sleep.”

Ken rolled his eyes good-naturedly and stood up. “Right. No jumping on the bed to wake me up tomorrow.” He took his mug up with him and climbed the winding staircase towards the spare room.

The tea, however, grew cold on the nightstand. As soon as Ken spotted the bed and laid down on it, he was asleep in seconds.

He awoke to two things-a certain heaviness at the end of his bed and the murmur of voices outside his door. Ken’s eyes adjusted to the sunlight streaming in from faded, frilly curtains, and he got a better view of his room. The lacey, feminine duvet on the bed and tchotchkes covering the nightstand all pointed to the room having not been used in a long time—and the young man sitting on his bed, staring curiously at him was just another reminder that no, he wasn’t at home.

For some reason, he didn’t scream.

“Good morning,” the young man greeted pleasantly. “You’re N’s friend, right? Are you really a human?”

“…Yes?” Ken replied hesitantly, his voice still thick with sleep. “Who are you?”

“Hongbin!” He flashed such a wide grin that Ken couldn’t help but to smile back. “Wow, I’ve never been so close to a human before. This is so cool.”

“I wish I could say the same about werewolves,” Ken replied dryly. “Why are you in here?”

Hongbin inched closer, crawling up the bed with a curious look on his face. In a second, before Ken could protest, he had pushed both of his hands into Ken’s dark hair eagerly, as if searching for something important. “Hyuk told me that humans have horns. Where are your horns?”

Ken batted away his hands in shock and tried to fix his even more rumpled hair. “I don’t have horns!”

“What about spots?” Hongbin looked eager to find some. “Do you have spots?”

“…No?” Ken admitted, just as the boy’s face fell.

“Scales?” Hongbin suggested. “Or a tail?”

Realization dawned on Ken’s face. “…You’re confusing human with lizardman, aren’t you?” He chuckled. “I’m no lizardman, just a plain, ordinary human. Maybe you should watch less sci-fi movies.”

“Sorry you’re not a lizardman,” Hongbin apologized, although Ken had no idea why he’d be upset about that. “But you smell good for a human!”

“…What are you doing here, anyway?”

Hongbin shrugged, a tendril of light brown hair flopping in front of his face. “I’m eavesdropping.”

Ken quieted down once he heard N’s voice. If he strained hard enough, he could make out what they said…

“No,” an unfamiliar voice said, firmly. “We talked about this last night, and the answer’s still no. It’s too dangerous.”

“He’s not like that,” N insisted, his voice taking on a serious tone that Ken hadn’t heard before. “He’s human, but he doesn’t do stupid things. He won’t betray us.”

“He could lead our rivals right here, though,” a low, silky voice pointed out. “They’ll smell you on him. Ravi and I discussed this.”

“If we like him, he can stay,” the other unfamiliar voice said, whom Ken guessed to be this Ravi person. “Just because he’s your friend doesn’t make him pack material.”

“I didn’t say I’d bite him. I’m not going to bite unless he’d want to be part of us, and I’m sure that’s not the case,” N hissed. “But Ken’s harmless. He doesn’t know how to fight or survive out here. If you want to leave him in the woods by himself, he wouldn’t last a day.”

He’d heard enough. Ken pushed open the door angrily, staring N and his two friends in the face.

N’s friends were equally tall and striking—did a werewolf curse equate to good looks? One had a shock of dyed hair, an intense red color that he hadn’t quite seen before. He glanced at Ken sternly, his dark eyes still deciding if he were friend or foe.

“…I’m going,” the other stated simply as he ducked away, Ken unable to get a good look at him save for his height and long hair. Clearly, he was the only one who didn’t dye. This apparently was also a werewolf thing.

N cleared his throat nervously, a guilty look on his face. “We shouldn’t have had that in front of your door.”

“That’s all you can say?” Ken asked his usually serene face turning into a glower. Or rather, he glowered as much as one could while still wearing a hoodie with a rubber duck on it.

The other folded his arms, studying Ken carefully. “He’s got some spunk. I like that. He’s not in yet, though.”

“Of course I’m not in,” Ken pointed out. “I’m not a werewolf, I have no intention of becoming a werewolf, and N just told me to come here to broaden my perspective!”

Ravi raised an eyebrow, the word clearly ringing a bell. “Perspective, huh. Have you ever been to Jeju?”

“What does that have to do with anything?” Ken glanced down the stairs, where the long-haired man had gone. What was up with him?

“Because Jeju has rules,” N said. “The tourists are human, so we don’t bother the tourists. The seasonal employees are human. To own land here, though, you either have to be a werewolf or be married to one.”

Ken started, surprised. “You mean all those celebrities? They’re werewolves?”

Ravi leaned against the doorframe. “Some of them are just married to us, remember. They produce werewolf kids, who go out and get famous and nearly blow our cover. Good thing that damn wolf song was so terrible that we didn’t have to punish anyone over it.”

“We told them not to, but of course, what do we know?” N rolled his eyes. “Anyway, more rules. You don’t want to flat out ask someone about their werewolf status, that’s just rude…”

Ken only half-listened as a flash of dark hair passed through his peripheral vision. He wasn’t quite sure why, but he intently tracked his movements downstairs when he passed by. He didn’t even know his name, but he still felt compelled to go down the stairs.

N lightly caught his arm before he could, and he exchanged an unreadable look with Ravi. “You should shower. You reek.”

“I wanted some tea first,” he protested. “I’d shower afterwards, but I don’t even have clothes here.”

“I’ll let you borrow something,” Hongbin offered, finally peeking through the doorway. “I’ve got things that aren’t leather and creepy. N thinks we’re vampires.”

“And I was going to put on a pot anyway,” Ravi offered, hurrying down the stairs before Ken could go first, they didn’t mind…

By the time he got out of the shower and changed into borrowed jeans and another hoodie (this time decorated with felt teeth and googly eyes to make the hood look like a shark’s head. Somehow, he and Hongbin had the same taste,) he was allowed downstairs and the mystery man was long gone.

One mystery after another and Ken knew they would just keep piling up. Even his old friend as part of a werewolf pack didn’t seem so weird anymore, compared to an _island_ filled with werewolves, where he was supposed to broaden his perspective. He felt it was broad enough already.

When he padded downstairs and was swept up into video games with Hyuk and Hongbin, however, he found himself forgetting about the mysteries for once and simply relaxing and joking. He learned through that afternoon that both of them were born werewolves, and that N kept a close eye on their interactions with humans (after his even lengthier interrogation by both boys on whether he was human or a lizard, Ken decided mentally that it was for the best.)

The days blurred together into weeks, and Ken found himself not missing academia in the slightest. His days were busy, filled with Street Fighter tournaments with the younger boys, and the occasional exploratory walks with N and Ravi. He could see why the pack had made Jeju their home—one seemed to lose track of time and responsibility there, particularly in the forest.

“Let me make sure I understand,” Ken began on one of their walks into familiar territory. “You really haven’t eaten cooked meat in years?”

“I eat too much of it raw,” Ravi admitted. “I suppose my tastes have changed, the bite will do that to you. It’s actually pretty good.”

“I’ve had raw beef of course, but I didn’t think raw deer would be any good,” Ken mused. “But I guess it’s one of those tastes that I’ll never really acquire.”

“You’ll acquire it if you let me bite you,” N teased, even as Ken lightly punched his arm. “C’mon, it doesn’t hurt.”

Dry leaves cracked under Ken’s shoes as he walked a bit ahead of the two, falling silent. He would have been lying if he had said he hadn’t thought about it, but it was still a life-changing decision. If werewolves could be celebrities and CEOs, there was no reason a werewolf academic would raise any eyebrows, would it?

On the other hand, he was no fighter, he was bookish. There were still too many secrets that the pack seemed determined to keep. He had been up at night when the door creaked open and N and Ravi appeared, covered in mud and scratches and whispering in low voices about territory disputes. They never seemed to notice the mud being mysteriously cleaned up from the entryway, Ken making his way downstairs to strain to listen to them talk, even if he never understood a word of it.

“..You’ll have to catch me first!” Ken laughed and darted forward, running headfirst as fast as he could into the woods. He heard his friends’ startled cries, then laughter as they raced after him. Ken knew they had an advantage, but what wasn’t fun about tearing through the forest?

Sure enough, they tackled him, and Ravi playfully bit into Ken’s shoulder. “Got him!”

“Not fair, there are two of you!” Ken tried to fend both of them off, which turned into a brief wrestling match. The scholar didn’t mind that mud was getting onto his jeans and leaves in his hair, or that he’d be sore and bruised in the morning. The woods, the playful nature of his friends, the idea that he had only the world to hold him back…

He was _free_. He could get used to it.

With one big push, he managed to right himself and flop over the two weres, declaring his victory. “You two keep teaming up on me. Not fair.”

“Well, we _are_ mates,” N pointed out lazily, much to Ken’s surprise.

“That’s not something you’ve told me.”

“Probably because it’s hard to describe unless you know the feeling,” Ravi said. “A were shares a body with the wolf. You’re the same, but you’re separate. A wolf tends to seek out other wolves. Turns out ours really liked each other.”

“You’re not bound by it,” N said. “It hurts like all hell if a bond doesn’t take, but that happens. Ours did, though. The drawback is that we are attuned to the other enough that if Ravi gets hurt, I feel it. My wolf gets annoyed if he’s away too long, but he’s gotten better at it. I was able to go pick you up in Seoul with no problems.”

“So that’s why you wanted to leave right away,” Ken realized. “You wanted to get back before it started to hurt.” It sounded like something nice, something he’d never have. He hadn’t dated at all, preferring books to clubs and flirting. While he hadn’t ever really thought about the idea of romance, he simply had decided it wouldn’t happen to him. Watching N and Ravi, though, with their fingers lightly linked together, made Ken feel wistful. “What about the rest of your pack? Are they mates?”

N shook his head no. “Hyuk and Hongbin? No way. They’re still too young to be thinking about that.”

The one name he left out was obvious.

“….And the other guy? The one with the long hair?” Ken pressed.

N looked uneasy. “No. Leo doesn’t have a mate.”

Leo. Another codename. N really did like them. Ken had asked before about Ravi, but N only laughed and refused to say. “So that’s his name, then? Why don’t you ever let me meet him?”

“You noticed,” Ravi said, ignoring Ken’s glare that it was far too obvious that the others were trying to block him from saying hello. “Look, Leo’s a scary, intimidating guy. He’s kind of rude and cold, and he really hates humans with a passion. So the night that you came, we all agreed that we’d keep you guys away from each other as much as possible. It’s not like he’d bite you, just not really make a good image of our pack…”

“Which you’d still be welcome to join,” N added. “We are pretty small, and we’re really bad at redecorating the house, but the offer’s open.”

“I said I’d think about it,” Ken murmured, mildly irritated. Why didn’t they trust him to take care of things himself?

“It’s getting dark,” Ravi pointed out. “We have to get you back to the house. There’s a full moon tonight. Remember what that means?”

Ken stood up and brushed the leaves out of his hair. “That means that you’re not forced to transform, but because it’s a perfect night for wolves, all of you go out to run?”

“Exactly. There are going to be a lot of territory disputes tonight, and we don’t want you caught up in them. You won’t be alone, though. We make Hyuk and Hongbin stay, too. They’re just not quite ready to get into a massive fight.” Ravi helped N up as they spoke, and Ken felt another twinge of jealousy at the act. If only he had thought about it sooner…

“Massive fight? You’re planning on getting into a fight tonight?” N sighed. “I’d rather not plan on that, Ravi. Let’s just stick to our territory, guard our pack.”

“I’ll tell you later,” Ravi muttered, shooting N another unreadable look.

 

 

 


	2. forvixx

 

 

 

 

The rest of the way home was quiet and uneasy, and Ken was even grateful when the two younger wolves pounced on him, chatting eagerly about horror movies and staying up all night since they couldn’t go out.

“Not too much coffee,” N warned as the sky dimmed to dusk. “Are you two listening?”

“Yes,” the two younger weres chorused, although they were focused on beating Ken in Soul Calibur.

Ken tore his eyes away from the screen for a moment to answer. “I’ll look after them, don’t worry.”

N’s face was drawn and pinched; whatever Ravi told him had frightened him enough to actually display it. “Thanks. I’m serious. Make sure they don’t go outside.”

“I’ll see to it,” Ken promised as the older two left and Hyuk hit his character with a combo. “Hey, not fair! I was talking!”

“All’s fair in love and video games,” Hyuk smirked.

They kept up their little party throughout the night, Hongbin wisely suggesting a switch to soda (“they didn’t say too much of that!”) Despite the occasional howl outside, Ken felt warm and secure in their stuffy house. He didn’t even object when Hongbin put in a DVD that claimed to be the world’s scariest movie. It was only ten minutes in, though, when Hyuk fidgeted and yawned.

“This is boring,” he complained.

“Street Fighter?” Ken suggested.

“No. I’m going out,” Hyuk announced. “When they tell us not to go, it’s because something crazy is happening.”

Ken shook his head. “I promised the others I’d keep you two inside for the night. It’s too dangerous.”

“Yeah, and we’re adults,” Hyuk argued. “And werewolves, we can take care of ourselves. N’s just hogging the spotlight, as usual. He doesn’t want us to take any credit in defending our territory, even though he has no problem sending us on watches alone.”

The brown-haired boy stood up and ripped off his clothes, moving out the door before Ken could protest. He sighed, having no way to catch a wolf-and how would he know which one was Hyuk, anyway?

“He’s such an ass sometimes,” Hongbin grumbled. “I’ll go after him.”

“Hey, not you too!” Ken tried to grab at the younger man, but he was once again too slow. Both his charges were out the door, and he had no way to find them.

But he knew the surrounding woods, and as long as he took a flashlight, he’d be fine navigating. If he left at that moment, then he knew they couldn’t have gotten too far, even as a wolf. Once they had gotten their scolding, he’d lead them right back to the house and they could pretend that this never happened.

He slipped on his sneakers and stepped out, shining his flashlight on the ground for the telltale paw prints. There they were, leading straight into an unfamiliar part of the woods. He had learned a bit about tracking thanks to his friends, though, and the sooner he went in, the sooner he would find them.

The woods closed in on him, dark and deathly silent. The only crunching he heard was the dry grass and leaves under his feet. Where were they? In fact, where was anyone?

“Guys?” Ken called out. He shook his head; they had to be playing a trick. “Very funny, you two. Now come on, we’ve got to get back.”

Nothing. Not even a rustle.

“Okay, joke’s over,” Ken called. “I’ll let you win at Street Fighter!”

His voice echoed back into the quiet air. Where were the howls? He walked a bit further, trying to discern any tiny sound that could alert him to their location.

Finally he heard it. A sharp crack; one of them must have stepped on a fallen branch by accident. When a wolf didn’t appear, though, Ken worried his lip. If they wanted to scare him they would have done that by now. Not even those two would let a joke go on for that long.

A low growl emanated from the point of the branch-breaking sound. A squat, unfamiliar wolf nosed its way out, its deep growl clearly not happy that Ken was there.

Ken held up his hands. “I don’t mean to hurt you,” he said quickly, stumbling over his words and wondering if it could understand human speech. “I’m just looking for my friends. Two pups,” he stressed. “That’s all I want. I don’t want to do anything else.”

He took a step backward, his knee knocking into another snout.

The woods seemed to come alive with growls as a large pack circled him, seemingly massive and endless. Ken was blocked in all directions, and he considered his options ( _scream/hide/mindlessly stumble through horde of angry wolves_ ). There was no reasoning with them, no way to escape this one. Fear overwhelmed the young man, and he stood frozen to the spot. His small space grew tighter as the wolves drew in even closer, sealing all the cracks he could even possibly think of escaping from.

He grabbed one of the broken branches off the ground and thrust it out, trying to make himself menacing. He wanted to scream, but no sound came out. This pack was hungry, and apparently eager to dine on human flesh.

_“Do you trust me?”_

An unfamiliar voice rang out in his head, but Ken knew he had heard it somewhere before. Low and cool, the sound soothed him despite the absolute weirdness of it coming from inside his head. He opened his mouth to respond, but was suddenly silenced.

_“Don’t speak. I can hear your thoughts just fine. I can help you, but you have to trust me.”_  
 _“What do they want?”_ Ken thought. _“Where are Hyuk and Hongbin?”_

_“They’re safe,”_ the voice soothed.

Somehow, the human knew it was okay to trust this weird voice. _“Do you have to…”_

_“Yes. I’m sorry. I’ll protect you.”_

Ken took a deep, shuddering breath. The voice was honest, and did sound remorseful. Somehow, he had a feeling that it would come down to this, but he wasn’t afraid. Nervous, but not fearful. He knew that it was going to be all right.

_“Please help me.”_

All he saw was a giant black blur, knocking him over and smacking the flashlight out of his hand. Ken watched it clatter away helplessly, his only source of light gone. It distracted the wolves enough to race towards the light as the heavy one on top of him sank his claws deep into Ken’s shoulder.

He screamed, and was rewarded with a sharp bite on his ankle, his jeans tearing away as the enemy wolf feasted. The one on top pounced off, and blinded by pain, Ken sank blissfully into welcoming darkness. The growls faded into a peaceful silence.

 

 

 

“How the hell could you be so stupid?” N yelled, his voice carrying through the overstuffed kitchen and through the mansion. “He was going to follow you! You broke the rules, and now look what you’ve done!”

Hyuk and Hongbin stood silently, their heads bowed. Their superiors had gotten mad before, but nothing like this.

“You’re eighteen, you’ve transformed. You’re not little kids anymore,” Ravi scolded. “Do you know how lucky it was that Leo found him? Half a second more…”

“We didn’t think he’d go after us,” Hongbin protested, rubbing his arm where he had been scratched. “He was fine at the house.”

“And it’s this incompetence, this immaturity, and you think you can actually lead a pack yourself? My best friend nearly died!” N’s eyes were wild, glowing with an anger that not even Ravi had seen before. “They would have left him in the woods to rot!”

“But we have a new pack mate?” Hyuk suggested weakly.

“If he lives through the change!” N sank onto a chair, the scolding making him tired. “I’m not angry. I’m disappointed.”

He could hear the voices, muffled and murky, as if he were swimming. Perhaps he was underwater, in this odd, dark sea that left him curiously dry, except for his head. He could feel coolness, wetness on his forehead, soothing and jarring at the same time. Still he floated on, upwards, seeking the surface of this odd place. Was there a surface?

Tiny pinpricks of light invaded his dark sea, and Ken realized that there was a surface. He floated further and further upwards, the bits of light blurring and merging together to allow him some visibility. It wasn’t a sea, he realized.

His head broke the surface and he gasped for air, an icy blast of it hitting him in the face. Ken craned his head around. He was still in a forest, one with a grey sky and dark trees but surprisingly warm lakes. A heavy mist had settled over the water, and despite the chill, Ken liked it. He swam to the water’s edge and rested there. He had no desire to orient himself or gain his bearings. In fact, he simply wanted to stay in this strange forest for the rest of his life.  
A soft rumble behind him alerted Ken to another’s presence, and he turned to see a wolf. This one was also strangely familiar to him, not an enemy but as a dear friend.

The wolf was large and pure black, its head dipped low in apology. He allowed Ken to pet his head, seemingly pleased at the few ear scratches he gave. The creature turned and walked a few steps forward before stopping, clearly meaning for the young man to follow him.

Ken climbed out of the water and followed along after the wolf without complaint or question. It didn’t matter that he was going back into the woods, defenseless and naked. The huge black wolf, he knew, was going to take care of him. He had nothing to fear.

The wolf led him to a clearing, where another wolf lay on its side. This one was smaller, with slender legs and a silvery-white coat. A black wolf and a white wolf. Ken felt as though they should be mortal enemies. Instead, the large wolf gently nosed the white one, who seemed to be in a deep sleep. It looked expectantly up at Ken.

“…You want me to touch it?” Ken asked, hesitant. The wolf’s head dipped again, in a gesture that Ken decided was yes.

He knelt down beside the sleeping wolf, his fingers hesitant to touch before they lowered and sank into the wolf’s still body. Ken felt himself pulled closer, his body being forcefully pulled into the wolf with a burst of blinding pain.

He woke up screaming, every nerve in his body aflame with a hurt that he never imagined possible. Sweat poured down his face and he clutched at an unfamiliar blanket that was worn and fraying at the edges. The faded towel that was perched on his forehead fell to the floor with a loud clatter, exposing the icepack inside. No wonder his head had felt so wet.

His scream faded into a hoarse cry as the wave of pain subsided, and he realized he was in an unfamiliar bedroom. Judging by the antique lamp softly glowing on the stand beside him, though, Ken knew exactly what house he was in. He was alive. Pain meant life.

He felt a hand on his forehead, one that seemed to soothe the last vestiges of pain away.

“You’re awake. Welcome back.”

He knew that quiet voice and Ken slowly looked up to see his savior sitting at the foot of the bed, concern filling the man’s face. It finally dawned on him, through the ebbing pain that the long-haired man, the voice, and the wolf from the night before were all the same.

“So you’re Leo,” he whispered, his throat hurting from his screams. “The one from last night.”

“The one from last week, actually,” Leo apologized. “You’ve been in and out of it for a while. We were worried that you wouldn’t make it.”

Ken curled up tightly on his side, trying to stop a fresh wave of pain. “Am I…”

“Probably,” Leo murmured the remorse clear in his voice. “I scratched you before the bite, so you’re in our pack. The bite simply sped up your transformation, if you have one.”

“All I had was a really weird dream, about a lake.”

“And about being pulled into a wolf’s body?” Leo guessed correctly. “Then it took. I was really hoping it wouldn’t be like this.”

“There was another wolf, too,” Ken murmured sleepily. “A big black one.”

The tall man froze. “That’s normal,” he said after collecting himself.

The younger man slowly sat up in bed and blinked blearily at him, obviously fighting sleep. “It wanted the white wolf to wake up, so I did, and then everything started to hurt.”

“You still hurt?” Leo gently touched Ken’s wrist and closed his eyes, leaving Ken to wonder just what he was trying to do. In a split second, Ken’s pain dissolved and Leo’s face contorted, then returned to its neutral expression. “There. Are you better?”

“What was that?” Ken asked, bewildered.

“I drew your pain into my body. It’s a talent that I have when it comes to my pack,” Leo explained. “I’ve done it before, but you were very much unconscious at the time.”

“You really don’t have to do that,” Ken protested even though it was too late. “I can just take some painkillers and be fine.”

“No. This is my apology,” Leo murmured. “For my actions and that of the pups. It shouldn’t have come down to that.”

“I’m not really worried about the pain. I’ve got a high tolerance,” Ken admitted. “Everything else about werewolves, though…well, I’m not a fighter. I read books and write lots of papers, and then people think I’m crazy for wasting money on a useless degree.”

“I can’t help with that, but I can help with being a werewolf. I know more about fighting than I’d like to know.”

Ken settled back down into the bed, pushing the blanket back over his shoulders. “I’ll take that help if I won’t be a bother.”

“It would be absolutely impossible for you to be a bother,” Leo started, but stopped as soon as he realized his words went unheard. Ken had fallen fast asleep again, his body internally shifting and changing in unimaginable ways.

Slowly, as the days passed, Ken’s periods of wakefulness became longer and longer. Leo was there every step of the way as he re-acclimated to standing, walking, and even getting some homework done in between naps. He never questioned _why_ Leo was always by his side, something just seemed natural about it. Still, Ken remembered Ravi’s warnings about the dark-haired man-that he hated being bothered and tended to be cold and abrupt.

“Why was everyone trying to keep me away from you?” Ken asked suddenly one night. He was warm and comfortable wrapped up in the old blanket, and Leo had gamely agreed to staying up and watching scary movies.

Leo tore his eyes away from the screen, just as the lead was about to get overrun by zombies. “That’s a long story.”

“I’ve got time,” Ken pointed out. “A lot more of it than I expected, now with the were-thing.”

Leo leaned back against the wall, falling into his usual silence. Apparently it wasn’t a subject broached often, Ken supposed, because the slight twitch in his jaw and the way he played with his fingers suggested that he was actually frightened.

It was hard to imagine this guy, who transformed into that huge black wolf…

_Black wolf_. It hit him. “It was you. You were the wolf in my dream.”

“I can’t infiltrate your dreams, if that’s what you’re wondering,” Leo said. “It’s a possibility it was me, but there are other black wolves out there,” he hedged.

“It was you,” Ken insisted. “You’re the only black wolf I know, and I recognized that wolf.” Why that made the color drain from Leo’s handsome face only sparked more curiosity and questions. “Is that bad?”

“It’s not bad, but it potentially means I’m your mate.” The hesitation in Leo’s voice and Ken’s sudden silence made the screams in the movie ring louder through the room.

“Your…mate,” Ken tried out hesitantly. “I don’t get a choice in this? Really?”

“You don’t have to do anything,” Leo pointed out. “I’ll respect that.” It wouldn’t be that painful now to break the bond, but Leo had heard of mates who had died when the other was killed, just because of how strong their bond was. It would be upsetting, but he had always been a loner, even within his own pack.

“Please don’t tell me you’re making all this up just because you want to fuck me,” Ken challenged. Being thrown that little nugget of knowledge barely three weeks after being bitten was overwhelming. Sure, he liked being around Leo, but he also liked being around the other members of the pack.

There was another scream from the movie; the zombie had gotten ahold of a chainsaw and somehow knew how to use it.

“You really think I’d do that?” Leo’s voice was barely above a whisper.

Ken drew the blanket around his shoulders and lowered his head in a silent apology. A wave of embarrassment washed over him, and he tried to make himself as small as possible.

Unfortunately, willing himself to disappear wasn’t one of the gifts given to werewolves, no matter how useful it may have been. “….No?” he asked in the smallest voice possible. He ducked his head under the blanket to hide his shame.

“Are you scared?”

The blanketed lump next to Leo only nodded his agreement.

Leo reached up and gently pulled the blanket off Ken’s head and tilted his chin up. He looked into the young man’s frightened eyes and in one of the exceedingly rare instances in his life, agreed. “I am too.”

Ken stared back in shock, unsure of how the tall, confident Leo could be so vulnerable. Somehow, he knew that he was seeing something secret and hidden, and he swore never to let anyone know of his weaknesses. “But I’m not ready for any of this mate stuff.”

“That,” Leo said, “can wait until after your first transformation. The full moon’s coming up soon, after all. I think you’ll find that you like it.”

“The werewolf stuff or the mate stuff?” Ken asked, feeling just a bit snarky. Leo hit him with a much-deserved pillow.

 

 

 

When the full moon rose, Ken wasn’t ready. Leo had insisted that he not even try until his wounds were fully healed and he was able to sleep through the night, and even after that told him to wait until the full moon. The rest of the pack had agreed with him. N promised that it was a lot more fun that way, and that he’d really enjoy being out then. Something about the moon inflaming his blood or something like that.

As he stood in the forest, naked and unashamed, moonlight glinting off his shoulders, he started to understand. He was supposed to concentrate and take on his wolf form, but no matter how much Ken scrunched up his face and held his breath, no wolf was coming.

“You can’t feel it?” N asked, surprised. “You can usually feel yours inside of you, waiting to come out.”

Ken shook his head. “I can’t. Are you sure it took?” Even as he asked it, he felt stupid. Of course it took, how else did he survive the attack? There was the pain, the dream, apparently all of that was expected. “Maybe it’s asleep or something.”

“Maybe you’re trying too hard,” Ravi suggested. “Just relax.”

Ken looked down at the two wolves crowding his feet-Hyuk and Hongbin-and waiting expectantly. “Easy for you to say.” He shooed them away before he lost his balance.

“Let me,” Leo murmured. “Do you trust me? It won’t hurt.”

Even as Ken nodded, he felt a sudden jolt in his head. While he didn’t quite understand what was going on, it felt as though Leo was pulling away a heavy block inside of him, little by little. More slight twinges and nudges indicated to him that there was _something_ inside. Something that nudged at him, tapped, begged to be let out.

That had to be the wolf, his even. Could he really claim ownership over something he wasn’t sure was really his?

He only pondered for a moment when he felt his hands being forced to the ground by an invisible weight. It wasn’t painful, there was only a great amount of pressure as the very fibers of his being, his bones and muscles, transformed into ways that would be impossible for normal humans.

He opened his mouth to ask if he was doing it the right way, and only a low bark came out. He clamped his mouth shut and looked up at N and Ravi, wide-eyed. Somehow, bookish little Ken had actually survived a transformation.

He took a few clumsy steps; walking on all fours was something he would have to practice. Ken’s senses had heightened another thing to practice using. He could make out more than just shapes in the woods, they made up animals and plants that he could see, even smell from a long distance. He glanced down and pawed at the ground, overwhelmed by the new, dizzying array of sights and smells.

Leo’s nose gently nudged into Ken’s side; the black wolf’s presence surprisingly comforting. He had gotten used to Leo being by his side, despite the good-natured teasing that came from N.

One look from N, though-and Ken had to admit he was envious of his friend’s darker grey fur, as it blended in more with the forest-and he dashed off. The night was cool and crisp, the wind was blowing; it was perfect for a pack run.

He took a few more awkward, tentative steps before breaking out into a full sprint, barking sharply and daring the others to catch up. Who cared if they told him to stick close by when there was so much to explore in a new light? Ken could make out fine cracks on the trees, stark against the night sky. The hum of the cicadas and light scuffling from squirrels were deafening to his sensitive ears.

He was free, invincible. Nothing could stop him, not even Hyuk’s playful nips at his tail. Ken merely picked up speed and raced against nothing. He could easily run forever, unfettered by any concerns. He’d call tomorrow and drop out of school. Who needed a doctorate when they could have this level of pure abandonment?

Hongbin cut in front of him, blocking his path while Hyuk covered the rear. It had been a setup, and Ken was determined to reign victorious through the inevitable wrestling match. He reared forward, grappling Hongbin with his paws and succeeding in dragging them both to the ground and getting all matter of dust and mud into his fur. N and Ravi quickly joined into the tussle, all barks and nips and struggling to be the last wolf standing.

_“Come play,”_ Ken urged Leo, his hesitation having melted away.

Leo simply settled onto the ground, his tail twitching as he watched the play-fighting. _“I like watching.”_

Even as he heard it, Ken could see the twitches in Leo’s legs-clearly, he was trying to hold back from rushing headfirst into their play. _“Can I ask you something?”_

_“Go ahead.”_ Leo kept his eyes fixed on the tussling, even as Ken extracted himself from their play. Reluctantly, he got up and followed Ken to a small clearing away from the games and into the quiet.

_“What I want to know is…”_ Ken reared back, his front paws splaying and slipping on top of Leo’s head. _“Why you’re such a terrible liar.”_

Leo didn’t budge, even as his tail thumped against the ground. _“I’d hurt you. I’m too big to play.”_

_“You won’t hurt me,”_ Ken challenged, gently nipping the tip of the black wolf’s ear insistently.  
Leo then tossed his head, shoving Ken to the side. He then pounced onto the silvery wolf, falling into the old familiar rhythm of play that he found he had sorely missed.

_“I know it’s not your real name, so why does N call you Leo?”_ Ken asked during a break in their scuffle.

_“He thought I looked like a lion. My real-“_ Leo stopped and rose quickly, Ken tumbling off to the side.

_“What was that for?”_

The huge wolf didn’t answer. He stared off into the distance, ears pricked and alert.

Somehow, Ken knew something was very, very wrong. A low growl that sent chills through Ken’s bones only confirmed that _it_ was back for more. Did it think that Ken was actually part of his pack, or did it simply want to finish the job?

He didn’t have a chance to answer those questions, as Leo’s large body blocked the path between them and he lashed out with a terror that Ken hadn’t thought possible from the usually quiet man. His eyes were wild and burned with fury as he blindly attacked at their intruder, who showed no signs of giving up.

Ken rose back and tried to join the fight for himself. He couldn’t let Leo always come and fight for him, and it was his battle, after all. The wolf had attacked him first, not Leo; and despite his smaller structure than the other two as a wolf, he was going to destroy him on his own.  
Leo ignored Ken’s attempts to get in the fray, his jaw locking onto their enemy’s neck in a death embrace, violently shaking and tearing at the other. His enemy turned and snapped at Leo’s legs, a final attempt at ripping the other to bits.

Was…was that what being a werewolf really was about? Ken turned and fled, running through the woods as fast as he could to get out of there. He couldn’t do that, he wasn’t a fighter. It was the second time he had gotten Leo into a fight with another wolf, and instinctively he knew that Leo couldn’t protect him all the time.

He shifted back once in the vicinity of the house, and glumly went back to his musty room. This wasn’t for him, he reasoned. He couldn’t keep getting everyone in trouble-what if it was someone who wasn’t as big and fierce, like Hyuk? He would have been easily torn to pieces, and it would all be his fault for leading him away.

It wouldn’t have happened if he had stayed with the group, would it?

Ken dressed silently and glanced at his watch. If he left right now, he would be long gone before any of them came back. He could feel his wolf protesting against the plan, begging him to stay because something important was still in that strange and fussy house.

He’d go back to his normal life. If werewolves could be pop stars and celebrities, then he could be an unnoticed academic, writing papers, going on with life and ignoring the freedom he had so cherished less than an hour ago.

It was for the best.

 

 

 

It was pouring rain, but Ken didn’t notice. A month after leaving the house with no warning, he had returned to his tiny, soulless apartment in Seoul and holed himself up to write the endless papers and dissertation that hung over his head. He had become more of a hermit than usual, the pale, lonely boy now a rare sight even on campus. His phone was shut off to avoid any calls, and he had set up a new email account specifically for his professors. There was no way N could get in touch with him short of coming back to his apartment, and he hadn’t been spotted ever since that night.

He huddled in front of his computer, listlessly typing and half-listening to the rain. After a few protests and pulls to head back to the island to claim what he had forgotten, his wolf had fallen silent-ignoring him, Ken suspected. It left him feeling empty, but that way at least he was protecting everyone from his mistakes.

Perhaps this was the way he had to live. Grey city, grey apartment, in silence save for his weekly pizza delivery. Most people would consider it torture, but somehow Ken knew that was his punishment for abandoning his pack.

He heard a knock at the door and sighed. Relief did come in the form of delicious pizza. Ken shuffled to the door and pulled out his wallet, counting the bills as he opened the door. He didn’t bother to look up at the deliveryman as he thrust out the bills; the deliverers were used to him at this point.

“Taekwoon. My real name is Taekwoon.”

That voice alerted him and Ken looked up warily. It was the delivery he expected—but Leo standing there, pizza in hand, was enough to make him drop the bills and try to close the door.

“Wait,” Leo begged, shoving his foot in the way. “Please?”

Ken sighed, his concern winning out. He couldn’t let Leo go back out in the miserable rain; he might catch a cold. “Come in.”

Leo slipped off his shoes and stepped inside Ken’s tiny apartment. He pushed away the wet hair that clung to his face, and offered Ken the large box. “It’s your favorite, right?”

Ken inhaled the fumes of chicken and spicy barbeque sauce. “Yeah. You remembered,” he recalled softly. “I told you that.”

Leo sat down awkwardly on Ken’s bed, remaining silent while Ken finished a much-needed slice.

“So you’re Taekwoon. It suits you.” Ken sat down next to him, feeling guilty. He really had left without a word.

“I thought you should know. I was about to tell you…”

“I remember,” Ken murmured. “Even though I was trying to forget that night.”

“I don’t blame you.” Leo leaned back, his head hitting the wall with a loud thunk. “N gave me a scolding, if it makes you feel any better. I should have alerted everyone instead of trying to protect you myself.”

“I don’t want to cause any more trouble,” Ken said suddenly. His shoulders sagged. “I couldn’t help you, and so you got hurt.”

“My leg’s fine,” Leo soothed. “Don’t worry about me. You caused plenty of trouble when you suddenly ran away, though. We went out looking for you, but I had a feeling you were back here. Or rather, my wolf did.”

Was that why his was so sad, Ken wondered. He just wanted to be near his mate, even if nothing happened. He inched closer to the other, this time not resisting his wolf’s silent insistence that he get closer.

“I’m not going to drag you back, if that’s what you’re wondering. I had to stop N from calling out the cavalry when you weren’t answering your phone. He had plans for all of us to somehow bring you back into our pack, where we could watch you.”

“I’m a nuisance,” Ken protested. “I can’t take care of myself, and that fight I watched…”

“It happens. I hate to say it, but we’re not all peaceful. We get hurt, and yes, we do have to kill. Of course you’re not going to know how to handle yourself yet,” Leo insisted. “You’re new to all of this. The rest of us have an advantage from being born with it, but we all had to learn.”

Ken leaned against Leo’s damp shoulder and closed his eyes, still unsure. “I don’t think I’m cut out for this.”

“We’ll teach you.” Leo’s arm around Ken’s shoulders was comforting. “Of course, it’ll be a little harder to watch over you in Seoul, but we’ll manage. Are you happy? Is this your home?”

Ken opened his eyes and took a long look around his apartment. The sad stacks of books were growing dusty, and his bare walls and Spartan bed only reaffirmed his lonely existence.

This wasn’t home. Home was a place with too many frills and fussy knickknacks, the ones N swore he’d get rid of and never got around to it. Home had Hyuk and Hongbin, who still dared each other to see if Ken really was a lizardman, who barged into his room to wake him up with more questions. Home had Ravi, who made the best kimchi fried rice that Ken had ever tasted, and who had promised to give him lessons.

Home had a quiet room at the end of the second floor hallway, where Ken had recovered, watched terrible horror movies, and had simply enjoyed the quiet while Leo fussed over him.  
“Home has my pack. My mate,” Ken realized. “If that still holds true, that is…”

Even if he couldn’t tell by his wolf’s pleased feeling, Leo’s rare smiled sealed it.

“I just want to go home,” Ken murmured. “Can we?”

“Of course we can.”

 

 

 

 

Ken yawned. The smell of Ravi’s tempting cooking woke him up from a sound sleep, and he padded down the creaky stairs to the kitchen.

“Morning,” Ravi greeted, not turning away from the stove. “Coffee’s brewing.”

“Uh-huh,” Ken mumbled, grabbing one of the mismatched mugs and snatching the first cup as soon as the pot had filled enough. He eased into one of the antique wooden chairs gingerly; enough to gain a smirk from N.

“Heard you had a rough night last night,” their pack leader teased just as Ken took a sip of his coffee, making him sputter and choke. “You guys were pretty loud.”

“Can’t we move into a place with thicker walls?” Hyuk complained as he nearly ran downstairs, wearing the giraffe hoodie he had snatched from Ken’s suitcase. “This really sucks.”

“I want that back,” Ken protested, to which Hyuk stuck out his tongue and laughed.

“Hey, I’m trying to cook a masterpiece,” Ravi protested. “Can’t the artist have some quiet?”

“You’re frying eggs,” Hongbin called out from the living room. “That’s not artistry.”

“Then get off your ass and come help me,” Ravi called back. “You don’t work, you don’t eat.”

“I work plenty,” Hongbin grumbled, but grudgingly headed in to set the table. “Is Leo coming or is he sleeping in again?”

“No idea,” Ravi snickered. “But I do know he came plenty last night.”

“Stooooop,” Ken groaned, covering his bright red face.

“He’s just jealous,” came Leo’s amused voice from the doorway. He eased himself into the chair next to Ken, seemingly unembarrassed by all the commentary.

“Can we just eat?” Ken pleaded.

“I don’t think there’s anything that’s _just_ doing something in this house,” N pointed out. “We’re a special kind of pack.”

That, Ken realized, was just the way he liked it.  



End file.
